Aurora TruthShield (Full)
This page contains a compilation of all character aspects for Aurora TruthShield, her lineage, attributes, history, behaviour and relationships prior to the in-game starting date. Although some of these aspects were decided after the games official commencement any conflicts have been/are in the process of being sufficiently ret-conned. It is therefore noteworthy that THIS TEXT CONTAINS SPOILERS TO POSSIBLE FUTURE EVENTS. Lineage Aurora is the child of a human doctor and a noble Fae. Her mixed heritage granted her great longevity and magic of her mother with the versatility and survivability of her father. However Aurora was raised by the human side of her family, not the fey side, and her slow aging soon became a great cause of pain, as each successive generation of carer became less concerned about her safety and more concerened about her ability. Within 5 human generations of her birth had become a slave to her own family, bolstering the family profession. The section of her human family responcible for her "care" were killed during The Seven Days, amidst an operation carried out by The Church of the Crossed Heart, to quash unholy citizens. More distant relatives still remain however but as a general rule, they do not know of their connection to her. The fae side of her family remain however, although significantly reduced in numbers. The main Proudspire bloodline consist only of Aurora herself and her mother Elaina Proudspire, with some distant cousins also remaining. Her mother's heritage is a mix of numerous other noble fae and mystical creatures, the most prevalent being that of a harpy and a dryad. This strange amalgamation of blood dulls the fey-like appearance passed onto Aurora it also makes for a strange array of traits being passed on. These traits lead to Aurora having an "uncanny valley"-esc appearance to most humans, being that there is clearly something strange about her but it is hard to place a finger on exactly what. One key fey trait Aurora is missing is a fae like brain. Although Aurora is capable of living well in excess of 2000 years of age she is only capable of remembering just more than the average human in terms of long-term memories. This makes retaining any memories from her distant past an endless struggle and Aurora has very few memories of her life before the "human" age of around 14 (approximately 504 actual years of age), and memories since then are predominantly patchy at best. Interestingly the actual amount of memories she has aligns fairly well with that of a human her own age. She also has trouble recalling details of the past week, even if they might be viewed as important to most, meetings with bishops and cardinals often get forgotten if they did not pose any significant weight, as such meetings are rather mundane to her now. Attributes A: Related to an aspect SK: Related to a skill ST: Related to a stunt AgelessA: Aurora ages at a very slow rate, although not an exact science, she ages at 1/36 the rate of a human. Child-likeA: Aurora is incredibly child-like in many regards, one of the reasons she requires an escort. She is prone to getting distracted when on non-urgent business or whilst off duty, especially by shiny objects or cute animals. She also is known to enjoy play equipment (swings, roundabouts etc.) as well as playground games (sometimes roping other Paladins into them under the pretence of "training"), acts far beneath her age and rank Child Protector: '''Due to her own past Aurora finds the abuse of children abhorrent. She will always step into any situation if a child is being injured, at risk of injury or in anyway threatened or harassed by adults, no matter who they may be. This is a principle that she holds even above her own faith and would be willing to actively fight against the church if it meant protecting a child. Children also take priority over all others when she is treating the sick. If Aurora bears witness to a child being physically injured (outwith minor actions such as a slap on the wrist, which will earn the adult a withering stare and a stern talking to) she will react in kind or more likely worse due to her strength. A child's death will cause Aurora to enter a blind rage and cause her to attack and kill the perpetrator and lash out at any and all who try to stop her. This also causes Aurora a great deal of psychological turmoil, making her depressive and far more quick tempered than usual. '''Contracted to the MagiA: '''Aurora's relationship with The Magi is very much a love/hate affair. Although she is bound to never raise arms against them she is often vocally critical of their actions. She finds their stance on slavery morally unjustifiable and utterly reprehensible, despite the act never being mentioned at all in the church's teachings. However she does owe her ability to openly cast magic to the Magi and is thankful for it, as well as their leniency in regards to her being allowed to remain an agent of the church. '''Disassociated From DeathASTSK: Aurora has been surrounded by death for most of her life. Outliving all she has known and remembering few has left her with very little regard for her own mortality or that of others. She does not fear death, seeing it as merely a fact of life, and a common one at that. This attitude regressed further after the death of Evenguard TruthShield to the point that Aurora will willingly throw herself into dangerous situations, even when she does not need to be involved or the odds are stacked against her. She is in no way suicidal, however, and would much rather live another day than become a martyr. [[Evenguard TruthShield|'Evenguard TruthShield']]ASK: '''Aurora's shield sister and closest friend still greatly effects Aurora's behaviour. See Concerning Evenguard TruthShield. '''Impatient: Aurora is very impatient and easily bored. As a result she finds herself becoming frustrated when tasks need doing but she is forced to wait for others. This makes her bad at coming up with plans and even worse at following them, especially if she was not involved in creating it. Nulled PainASK: ' Aurora's training within the compounds of the church were often highly intensive, often resulting in injuries. Because of this, and the long period in which she underwent this training, Aurora's body has very few functioning nerve endings across her body. Although she would be capable of healing such damage she has chosen not to. This allows Aurora to take far more punishment than the average human before being overwhelmed with pain. However broken bones, blood loss etc. still have direct effects on her (nausea, slowing of movement etc.), she just does not realise significant damage has occurred. As such she will often fight until she is at the brink of death before retreating. ''Note: Visual clues such as protruding bone or severed appendages still mean something to her, even if she can't feel them, and if she becomes aware of these she will retreat. '''Magical AffinityASK: '''Aurora is far more trusting of those who are gifted with magic and is far more likely to pursue companionship with them, this is especially true with other Astral magicians and Physical casters. She will attempt to avoid conflict with other magic users as far as possible and bring those who are amicable into the churches, and therefore her, sphere of influence. '''Manic Sadist: Despite her normally kind demeanour, if given proper motivation Aurora can become a twisted creature. Having spent most of her life being hunted she has learned to be cold-hearted and ruthless when necessary. Acts such as constantly healing and breaking bones and slow life draining have been conducted numerous times throughout her life. She has also thrown members of The Witch-Hunter's Order, both dead and living over the edge of the island and into the rot whilst under the guise of The Silver Witch. Restoration AffiliateASK: '''Although technically exempt from the work of The Restoration Aurora has become a useful asset to the group thanks to the terms of her contract and her own moral code. Since the groups inception she has taken part on numerous quest into The Rot on as an overseer for the church. However she has few friends within the group itself: many see her as a traitor to the cause for not being a full member but even more envy her freedom, having never wanted to be part of the organisation in the first place. The exact terms of her contract are somewhat vague, allowing The Magi and their underlings to essentially call Aurora in for any task that they see fitting so long as she does not need to follow orders that go against her faith. She is also duty-bound to never raise arms against the group. '''The Sister ShieldsAST: A pair of Dwarven crafted shields, these twinned shields are Aurora's primary weapons. The shields can expand and retract via the use of a complex and hardy clockwork mechanism, allowing the shields to be reduced to large bangles. Inside each shield is a small magical conduit, exposed at the centre of the inner edge. Although now functionless, when Aurora's shield sister was alive this would have allowed the pair to transfer magical energy to each other through the combined shield. The shields are both half-kite in shaped, spiked along the inner edge, with a large spike on the bottom. The left shield also contains the heart of Evenguard TruthShield, kept alive through Aurora's healing magic and a series of electric wires receiving charge from the heart itself. Although the act of keeping the heart alive has now become second nature to Aurora (akin to breathing) it still draws much of her magical powers, vastly reducing what she is actively capable of doing. Social IneptitudeA: '''Aurora has been stuck on Church property for most of her life, rarely leaving the grounds even on church business. This combined with her age and disassociation from death has resulted in her having no concept of etiquette or appropriateness outwith church doctrine. Although she will treat higher ranking church officials with high regard, she will treat a noble in the same manner as a pauper. Her normal attitude is somewhat childish, but kind hearted, in nature but also very abrasive and moralising. Moreover she will maintain this attitude with people even in situations where such mannerisms are ill-suited, such as when she is being threatened; when her attitude will often remain chipper until someone actually makes a perceived move to attack her. This has often resulted in Aurora attempting (and failing) to befriend those who wish to do her harm. '''ZealotA: Aurora is a religious zealot, valuing faith and devotion above all else. Although perfectly willing to work with non-believers, she treats them with contempt (unless their actions have given her a reason not to) and will attempt to force her own beliefs onto them. She is fiercely loyal to the church and will follow their orders to the best of her abilities, although she is not unwilling to question the judgement of her superiors if she feels they go against the values of the faith. History For this section the ages provided will be formatted as: actual age (Approximate human age) Early life 0-319 (0-13) Aurora was born in the winter of 1786 AP to Marcus Anderson and Elaina Proudspire with the intention of being raised as part of the Proudspire dynasty. However Aurora's father bundled the child from the Proudspire estate after hearing rumours of The Ascension only a 3 years later. Early plans did not include the lands on which the manor sat on and, believing the Fae would be too stubborn to leave their home, saw this as the only way to save his daughter. During her very early life Aurora aged at a reasonably rapid rate compared to later her years and by the time her father died, in the year 1817 AP she was approximately 3 human years of age and already showing a magical talent. For the next 2 generations Aurora was treated with kindness and respect by her family, especially by her half brother come adopted father, despite her magical ability becoming dangerous in 22 NP. Aurora's gift for healing aided in the families medical business and as she aged these gifts were nurtured in secret. This happy childhood didn't last however, in the year 123 NP, after the death of her niece, she was transferred into the care of her grand-nephew who was greatly jealous of her favour within the family. This nature led him to treat Aurora more akin to a tool for the family business than a family member and he proceeded to encourage his children to do the same. Early resistance by the still young Aurora was swiftly stamped out through harsh beatings and denial of food and water, with worse punishments being dealt out if Aurora used her magic to heal her own wounds. At this time Aurora was 167 (8) and beginning to test the limits of her powers, and discovering she could steal, not just give, life. During a brief period in 148 NP Aurora ran from home, living as a street urchin for 3 weeks. During this time she earned small amounts of money by providing healing for minor injuries, such as cuts and burns, on street corners. However she quickly came to the attention of The Witch-Hunter's Order leading to her first confrontation with the group. Despite her age she managed to evade her assailants and escape, but sustained serious injuries in the process. She returned home 2 days later, caked in dried blood. Her grand-nephew, seeing both the physical and mental damage the event had caused, did not punish her, allowing her to use her powers to heal herself, but soon after began using threats of abandonment to demand her compliance. During her weeks on the street she visited a Church of the Crossed Heart, finding solace within it's teachings. On the day prior to returning home she paid what little coin she had to be initiated into church but denied the offer of aid from the priests, believing that she would bring trouble to those around her. Her family however was strictly opposed to the religious organisations, forcing her to practice her faith in secret. In the year 275 NP, during The Seven Days, numerous purges were conducted by the holy orders. During one of these purges Aurora's home and family were targeted by a small group of paladins of the Red Crossed Heart. During the resulting fray the 319 (13) year old Aurora, brandishing the holy cross she received at her initiation, broke free from her room and attacked her family members, killing 2 with a kitchen knife and 3 through life draining, before healing an incapacitated paladin. Unsure on exactly what to do with the child the paladins smuggled Aurora from the slums into Tier IV via the tunnel network used by the paladins and city guards under the guise of a young cleric. A council of the Angelic Representatives was called to decide Aurora's fate. The council heard testimonies of the paladins who had rescued her, noting the fact she had effectively dispatched an number of heretics and brought a mortally wounded paladin back from the brink. Concerns were raised at the glee Aurora had shown during the fight, especially when draining the life force from her family, but most were dismissed after she gave her account of life with them. Ultimately the decision was reached at a 8-4 majority in Aurora's favour thanks to her fervour and willingness to aid the church. The council decreed that Aurora be moved around numerous large church compounds, where she would be free to use her magic to heal the injured when she felt inclined to do so, spending the rest of the time she would spend learning the ways of the faith and of weaponry. Prior to Meeting Evenguard 320-503 (13-16) Aurora's time within the church was spent mainly healing the wounded, due to her magic however she was normally only allowed to work within a private chamber with unconscious or high ranking individuals. She received formal teaching in medicine and physiology from other medical staff in the process, a matter she had a severe lack of knowledge in. One of these early tutors diagnosed Aurora with both short and long term memory loss, blaming her poor upbringing (the story provided by the church was essentially all true but without any concept of the time scale). This was the first time in which Aurora's brain defect became recognisable however she would not realise the exact cause until she was 463 (15). Despite this she was allowed to mingle with the general populous of the temples in which she resided. Having already decided that she intended to join the Order of the Red Crossed Heart when she came of age most of the rest of her days were spent in the various training grounds. She quickly showed aptitude with the shield but had great issues with the fidelity of the sword and the unwieldiness of the hammers. By her 20th year within the church Aurora had adapted to her own personal fighting style, using a combination of two shields with daggers protruding over her fists. This style of fighting was highly defensive, relying on creating openings and delivering swift counter attacks. In the following year she would forge herself a pair of shields with a bladed inner edge. Upon her 483rd birthday Aurora joined The Order of the Red Crossed Heart, now visually being a close enough approximation to a 16 year old woman. She was given authorisation to go on a small number of excursions as support to the slums of Tier V and to the outer islands, although she would require a personal guard, a hooded cloak and a lower face mask. She took very few of these opportunities, only taking those that might bring her to areas around where she grew up in an effort to recall the memories that she had lost. One such mission, in the year 459NP, brought Aurora, who had garnered enough of a standing to lead a squadron, to the church in which Aurora was first initiated into the religion. During this mission she would aid in the extraction of her future "shield-sister" Evenguard TruthShield. During the winter of 462NP Aurora was tasked with guard patrols upon the Eastern Island. Concerning Evenguard TruthShield Since embedding Evenguard's heart into her left arm Aurora has been prone to bouts of nausea, fitting, aggressive outburst, loss of bodily control and blackouts. These come as a direct result of the small fragment of Evenguard's soul that still remains with the organ exerting some portion of her will upon Aurora. This process manifests itself in the form of sensations occurring in the Left Temporal Lobe, in the area just behind Aurora's upper ear. For the most part the effect of Evenguard's willpower are minimal, forming only passing compulsions or thoughts, however when confronted with situations Evenguard has strong feelings towards, such as conflict with witch hunters, they can rise to an insatiable lust, resulting in the more dire side-effect. During the aforementioned blackouts Aurora loses control of all control of her body and the shard of Evenguard takes control instead. This fragment of consciousness contains Evenguard's raw and untempered ideals and the body of Aurora will act according to Evenguard's will. When in this state Aurora, or more accurately Evenguard, becomes much more aggressive, agitable and confrontational and will often actively seek targets to slay with reckless abandon. These burst tend to last for no longer than a few hours and are few and far between however they can be highly destructive, physically exhausting and mentally traumatising for Aurora, who will require prolonged periods of rest if it were to occur. For the first few years Aurora these side effects were common, leading to Aurora spending a large portion of her time either alone or in infirmaries however in more recent times Aurora has gained a level of control over these tendencies, reducing the frequency in which they occur. However she still does not have enough control to repress Evenguard if she truly wants something. Aurora is very aware that this fragment of Evenguard is the cause of these issues. As such she goes through many routines to try and keep her appeased. Such practices include performing twice as many prayer as normal and always leaving offerings at shrines to the Paladin if leaving similar offerings to the Angels of her choice. She will also seek Evenguard's advice if she finds herself in a situation in which she does not know what the "correct" course of action is. Aurora will also frequently simply converse with the fragment of Evenguard in the same way she did when Evenguard was still alive. This often draws many a strange look from those who find Aurora seemingly conversing with thin air or laughing to herself whilst seemingly playing both sides in a game of chess, however all instances of psychological analysis being performed on her have concluded she is of sound mind, or at least sound enough in the eyes of the church. Note: Evenguard is fully aware that she is no longer herself when she takes over Aurora's body and will often attempt to masquerade as Aurora to further her own agenda. She is also much more devious and cunning than Aurora is and far more likely to use trickery, lies and other underhand tactics, acts which Aurora finds dishonourable. Character Inspirations and Designs Aurora's design and personality was originally based on that of Christ-chan from the comics of the same name, but without the white nationalist and anti-semitic components. She was given a child-like nature as to reflect a wish to keep the character light hearted as opposed to the overbearing cynical and nihilistic nature that a character in her situation would develop. Her physical appearance would later be refined with her appearance becoming thinner but more muscular coming closer to Teresa of the series Claymore or members of the Adepta Sororitas from the Warhammer 40k universe. Her armour was initially intended to lie somewhere between that of Krusty from Log Horizon universe and the augmentations of Adam Jenson from the Deus Ex franchise. Her lower arms and legs were to have thinner, sleeker plates with leather joints. The forearms had channels in which a bar on the shield could slide through, allowing for the utilisation of her hands in combat however this feature was dropped. Her body armour was bulkier, with large rounded pauldrons and a bulky plate body. Very early versions of this armour had metallic wing shaped protrusions on the back however as the game commenced these were removed in favour of intricate etchings. This armour was later altered to be generally sleeker as a whole, with the leg armour becoming more fitted and angular, the forearms becoming unarmoured besides a pair of gauntlets and the body armour being generally reduced in scale. Pauldrons and spaulders remain a point of contention within the design, the original version was intended to have large pauldrons akin to those of the Adepta Sororitas' power armour however this feature has been flip-flopped over numerous times. As of current the design of this segment of armour is akin to a cubic graph, curving with the shoulder before raising up into a gorget. Preliminary drawings of this "finalised" armour were created however no images of notable quality have been produced as of yet. Her fae ancestry was developed with the idea her mother was a true fae akin to that of Maleficent. The extent of the fae features were toned down significantly as the fae in Soleil are more akin to the descendants of a number of different true half-fae. Original versions of Aurora had large scars across her back where a vestigial pair of wings once were, however this idea was dropped between Session 1 and Session 2 when the fae received a more fleshed out description. One notable detail is the idea that Aurora's eyes would change colour when she was exerting herself to a high degree, this idea was later changed to her eyes gaining a golden edge ring around the iris when casting magic akin to that of Merlin from the BBC series of the same name. It is worth noting the idea of physical exertion changing Aurora's eye colour was implemented before her design was changed to be more akin to a Claymore, who share a similar trait. Strangely many aspects of Aurora were already similar to that of Teresa and other Claymores prior to the designer watching the series and changes to her character were made after noting the striking similarities between Aurora/Evenguard and Claire/Teresa.